On December 22, 2020, 20 National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs and Deputy General Secretary Peter Boamah Otokunor faced charges of unlawful assembly after marching to the Electoral Commission’s (EC) headquarters in Accra.
The police claimed the group failed to notify authorities, violating the Public Order Act, and acted in a way “likely to cause fear and breach the peace,” per the criminal summons.
MPs Involved
The charged MPs include Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, Samuel George, John Abdulai Jinapor, Rockson Defiamekpor, Ras Mubarak, Mutawakilu Adam, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, Dr. Kwabena Donkor, A.B. Fuseini, Kwabena Minta Akando, Yusif Issaka Jaja, Isaac Adongo, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, James Klutse Avedzi, James Agalga, Collins Dauda, Abdul Rashid Pelpuo, Richard Quashigah, and Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings. Samuel George is set to appear in court on January 4, 2021, per Citi News.
Purpose of the March
The Minority Caucus aimed to submit a six-page petition demanding the EC re-collate the Techiman South Constituency’s parliamentary and presidential election results from all 266 polling stations, citing irregularities in the December 7, 2020, general election. The NDC disputed the EC’s declaration of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah as the winner, escalating tensions.
Police Resistance
Led by Haruna Iddrisu, the MPs, mostly clad in black, faced 100 heavily armed riot police who blocked their entry to the EC, about a kilometer from Parliament. The legislators, daring officers to “shoot us,” argued they were merely “taking a walk,” not protesting, per Class FM’s Charles Akrofi. Police used force to stop the march, citing non-compliance with notification requirements.
Political Context
The charges sparked criticism from former President John Mahama, who questioned President Nana Akufo-Addo’s call for consensus-building while the police pursued legal action against NDC MPs, including Speaker Alban Bagbin. The hung parliament, with the NDC and NPP each holding 137 seats, intensified scrutiny of the EC, long accused of procurement issues. The NDC’s petition followed their broader challenge to the 2020 election results, dismissed by the Supreme Court on March 4, 2021.
Ongoing Tensions
The EC advised the NDC to challenge Techiman South results in court, as re-collation was not possible post-declaration. The incident, coupled with reported electoral violence in Techiman South, underscored mistrust in the EC, a recurring issue in Ghana’s 2020 and 2024 elections.
